Word of the Day

: June 21, 2011

decry

verb dih-KRY

What It Means

1 : to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly

2 : to express strong disapproval of

decry in Context

In her article, she decries the pollution of the environment by manufacturers.

"Inside the meeting, several speakers, including a teacher, two parents and two students, also decried the board action as wrongheaded or too hasty for the school of about 4,000 students." -- From an article by Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times, May 11, 2011

Did You Know?

"Decry," "depreciate," "disparage," and "belittle" all mean "to express a low opinion of something," but there are also some subtle differences in their use. "Decry," which is a descendant of the Old French verb "crier," meaning "to cry," implies open condemnation with intent to discredit ("he decried her defeatist attitude"). "Depreciate" implies that something is being represented as having less value than commonly believed ("critics depreciated his plays for being unabashedly sentimental"). "Disparage" implies depreciation by indirect means, such as slighting or harmful comparison ("she disparaged polo as a game for the rich"). "Belittle" usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude ("he belittled the achievements of others").